Thelen: chronicle of a death foretold

It was the law firm that the builders turned to when they constructed the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge and the Hoover Dam. On Dec 1, its doors will close.

Farewell to a bridge builder

Thelen LLP made it official today, with the announcement that the firm’s management was recommending dissolution. “Recessionary pressures,” “numerous partner departures,” failed attempts to merge with another firm, the most promising of which “was derailed by conflicts,” brought about the end of the 84-year-old San Francisco firm. All this explained in a notably candid press release accompanying the announcement.

Dissolutions can be especially traumatic, as the recent experience with another storied San Francisco firm, Heller Ehrman, illustrated, especially for junior attorneys and support staff who might not be quickly grabbed by other firms. Thelen says it will do right by its employees — paying 60 days salary under federal and state law while seeking to come up with accrued vacation pay.

“This was a wonderful firm, with very high quality lawyers,” said Klein, who is working on placing departing Thelen attorneys elsewhere and counts many of them as his friends. “They’re doing this in an extraordinarily collegial manner, helping each other, talking to each other.”

So far, Thelen’s bank, with whom the 400-lawyer firm’s finances now rest, has said no to accrued vacation pay, according to the press release.